


that damn textbook

by in_the_clouds



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:35:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24576916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/in_the_clouds/pseuds/in_the_clouds
Summary: Prompt: I left my math textbook in the cafeteria and you found it and spent three days tracking me down using the book number and now you’re standing in front of me holding it and the snow makes your hair pretty, what classes are you in?Some high school fluff.
Relationships: Tobin Heath/Christen Press
Comments: 25
Kudos: 178





	that damn textbook

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! I haven't given this a heavy edit so any and all mistakes are mine and I apologize. Also, this is poorly written in my eyes so I am very sorry for that. Thank you for reading and giving it a chance.

“Shit,” Christen curses. She can’t find her textbook, the one with funky architecture and formulas on the front. The same one she now needs for her math final, because the teacher for some reason decided that the final for the semester was open book. She upturned her bookbag only to see some pencils and her other classes’ notebooks fall out and splatter against the floor.

“Woah, Press, what’s wrong?” Kelley O’Hara ambles over to her. Kelley is her best friend, has been, for God knows how long. They met in elementary school and they just so happen to be friends up until now, their final year of high school. 

“I can’t find my textbook, math, the one for Mrs. Anderson’s class. My test is in 10 minutes,” Christen panics. It’s not even in her locker. Where could it be? She was using it to study for this same math test just yesterday in the cafeteria. Maybe she left it at home? Because she swore it’s not in the cafeteria. She would’ve seen it today.

“I’m sorry, Christen,” Kelley gives Christen a sympathetic look, knowing all too well the struggle of forgetting something that’s needed for a class. 

At this point, tears are threatening to pour out of her eyes. This is her most important final. Her grade is bordering a B and she desperately needs a good grade to ensure an A. Christen has never gotten anything short of an A, and she is not going to let this test ruin her pretty much perfect GPA. 

“It’s fine, Kelley, I’ll manage. I studied a lot yesterday, so maybe it won’t be so bad,” Christen sighs. 

“Wait! I think I have my textbook you can use! I left it here yesterday because I didn’t want to carry it home!” At that, Kelley bursts into a sprint, effectively leaving Christen standing in the rapidly emptying hallway. Class starts in pretty much 30 seconds, and if she’s not mistaken, Kelley’s locker is just about on the other side of the school.

“Dammit,” Christen mutters under her breath. She’ll just deal with it and she’ll ask the teacher if she could borrow a textbook.

As she sits down in her seat and pulls her pencils out, the bell signaling the start of class rings, it's piercing sound ringing throughout the school hallways. At this point, Christen can only hope that Kelley isn’t late for her art class. Christen begins to study what she can from her notes before the test is placed in front of her, and she startles at the door opening at a speed she thinks is going to tear the hinges off of the wall. 

“I got it!” Yells a flustered and heavily breathing Kelley O’Hara, math textbook in hand. When the class goes quiet and Mrs. Anderson sends her a look that could only be described as disappointment, Kelley gives a sheepish shrug and walks over to Christen’s desk. 

“You’re welcome, Pressy,” Winks Kelley before she slowly backs out of the room, with every student’s pair of eyes on her. She sends the teacher an apologetic smile before she closes the door and leaves, probably to run to her class. Christen, grateful as ever, uses the textbook for class and promptly forgets that her own is still lost. Aside from the occasional doodles and notes sprawled across the pages, the test flies by relatively easily, and Christen makes a note to do something to pay Kelley back.

\-------------------------------------------

Three days pass by, and Christen has all but forgotten about her textbook. The class after her final was just a small holiday party where Mrs. Anderson played a movie and passed some hot chocolate around. Christmas Break was in a few days, and Christen, exhausted by the different final exams she had to take, is even more appreciative of the time off that she gets to spend with her family and her dogs. As the final bell rings to signal the end of the day, Christen shovels what’s left of her notebooks and supplies in her backpack. 

As she stands in front of the eagle statue, the school’s mascot, in the front of the school to wait for Kelley, she spots a girl walking up to her with what looks like her math textbook in her hands. This catches Christen off guard. She’s her height, if anything, half an inch shorter, and she has long, wavy brown hair that's shining in the dull December sun. She has ripped jeans and high tops on, and a hoodie that states her participation in their school’s soccer team. 

“Hi, are you Christen Press?” The stranger asks, and Christen is taken aback. How did she know her name?

A glance at the textbook in the girl’s slender fingers answers her question, and she blushes at the realization that she just checked the girl out, without shame. 

“Hi, that’s me,” Christen answers, taking the time to clear her throat. It’s been snowing since she left for school this morning, and it seems as if the weather has no intention of slowing down. Giant flurries of snow are falling down at impressive rates, and a lot of it seems to have fallen in the stranger’s hair. Christen would be lying if she said she wasn’t enamored by who she thinks is the prettiest person she’s ever laid eyes on.

“Awesome. I found this textbook a few days ago in the cafeteria and there wasn’t a name on it so I looked up the book number and I’ve been trying to track you down so I could return it to you,” Brown eyes light up, crinkling at the sides, as this stranger beams at her and holds the book out. Her smile is huge, her eyes are golden brown like honey, and they contrast sharply against the snow on her hair. It’s as if she’s an angel, and Christen has to mentally slap herself before she stays silent for too long and seems weird to the girl.

“What classes are you in?” Christen blurts out, and she slaps a hand over her mouth, eyes wide. As if she could embarrass herself any more in front of the girl. 

“What?” The girl’s smile falters a bit and her eyes go wide, like she was just caught off guard. Her arm is still extended toward Christen, with the damn textbook in her hand, and Christen has to tear her hand away from her mortified face to grab the book.

“I’m so sorry, I don’t know why I just asked that. It’s probably just because you’re like the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen and I wasn’t expecting it and I was just surpri-” Christen is rambling. She’s panicking and she’s trying to backtrack before the girl calls her weird and leaves. She fails to see the small smile and hopeful eyes staring back at her.

“You think I’m the prettiest girl you’ve ever seen?” A small smirk graces her features, and Christen has never wanted to sink into the ground more than she does at this very second.

“Yeah,” She squeaks through her blush and nervous hands.

“Well that’s a coincidence because I feel the same way about you,” The girl is smiling again and she pulls her empty hand out.

“I’m Tobin, Tobin Heath,” She’s really smiling now, and the statement she made about Christen just now registers in her head because she’s blushing more than she ever has in what she thinks is her entire life.

“I’m Christen, Christen Press, but you already knew that,” Christen stammers, and she wipes her sweaty palms against her pants before she takes Tobin’s hand to shake it.

Tobin laughs, and Christen just about swoons at it. She could listen to her laugh for forever, and this is when Christen realizes that she wants to do anything to see this girl again.

“Do you wanna hang-” Christen is cut off by Kelley patting Christen on the back.

“Hey Pressy. What’s up, Tobin?” Kelley whistles, and she and Tobin do a sort of hand shake.

“Hey Kelley,” Tobin drawls, and she smiles at the both of them, before she states that she has to go. She bids farewell to Christen and Kelley and leaves, much to Christen’s dismay.

“How do you know Tobin?” Christen questions. She needs to know how this girl has flown under her radar for so long.

“We’re on the soccer team together. She’s like the most talented player on the team,” Kelley answers, and it’s at this point where Christen forgets to ask Tobin for her number or any other way of contact.

“When’s your first game?” Christen needs to know. She needs to see Tobin again.

“Since when do you care about going to any sporting events, Pressy?” Kelley looks confused, before her eyes light up and she gains this mischievous grin like she’s just discovered the secrets of the universe.

“You have the hots for Heath don’t you?” She wiggles her eyebrows, and Christen has to wrestle herself away from Kelley’s all too knowing gaze before she combusts on the spot.

“Shut up, Kelley,” Christen mumbles, as she approaches her car in the parking lot.

“You’re not even denying it!” Kelley bursts into insane laughter that pulls odd looks from students around them. She looks to be near tears in her eyes before Christen smacks her and tells her to be quiet.

“Yes, okay? She’s so pretty and she’s so nice, Kelley. She found my textbook for math and spent three whole days trying to look for me,” Christen berates Kelley.

“Fine, fine. Our first game is a few months from now. Practice hasn’t even started, Pressy. It’s December,” Kelley snorts, and Christen has to keep herself from smacking her best friend again.

“I can’t wait that long,” Christen whines, “I need to see her again.”

“I can always give her number to you,” Kelley bargains. At this, Christen lights up, and she feels like she could kiss Kelley as thanks.

When Christen drops Kelley off at her house, she sits in her driveway, nursing a sticky note with some numbers scrawled onto it. It’s her lifeline, and she chews on her bottom lip before firing off a text.

_ Christen: Hey, this is Christen. Kelley gave me your number because I forgot to ask you. I wanted to say thanks for giving me my textbook back. _

_ Tobin: Hey, Christen! No problem. _

_ Christen: You never told me what classes you have. _

Christen smiles as she backs out of Kelley’s driveway.

\-------------------------------------------

Break proves to be a little long, but Christen has been texting Tobin for hours every single day and she’s sure her feelings for the girl are the strongest feelings she’s felt in practically forever. In the course of two weeks, she’s learned that she shares two classes with Tobin next semester. She’s learned that Tobin is a soccer goddess and has gotten some call ups to the National Team. She’s learned that her favorite color is orange and that she loves to paint. Christen has learned about Tobin’s family and vice versa. If anything, Tobin adores Morena and Khaleesi more than she adores Christen, much to her jealousy. They have yet to hang out or see each other in person again, but classes start again in a few days, and she’ll be damned if she doesn’t sit next to Tobin in class. 

\--------------------------------------------

When the soccer season starts again in the spring, Christen writes down the dates of all the home games, in hopes of attending and seeing her best friend and Tobin playing. 

The homecoming game is in a few days, and Christen has already bought a scarf and a little flag with the eagle on it. She’s ready and she’s even meeting up with a few more friends before the start of the game. 

As Christen closes her locker, she’s greeted with the sight of Tobin smiling at her.

“Hey Tobes, what’s up?” Christen hugs her. She ignores the warmth of Tobin’s arms around her waist as she embraces her back.

“I just wanted to ask and see if you wanted to wear my jersey for the homecoming game?” Tobin looks hopeful, and she’s scratching the back of her neck, a sign that she’s nervous. 

“S-Sure!” Christen is caught off guard. This isn’t something she’s ever expected. In the months since she’s known this girl, she’s come to accept the fact that Tobin will never be hers. 

“Great! I’ll get the jersey to you the day of the game, alright? I’ll see you tomorrow,” Tobin kisses her on the cheek before she rushes off to practice. If Christen lingers in the hallway with her hand on her cheek where Tobin kissed her, she doesn’t tell anyone.

\-------------------------------------

“Hey, who’s number are you wearing?” Mal asks.

“Oh, uh, Tobin Heath’s,” Christen blushes. The giant number 17 on the back shows everyone looking in her direction that she’s wearing the star player’s jersey.

“No way, Tobin asked you to wear her jersey?” Mal’s eyes go wide, and she starts jumping around like an energetic little puppy.

“That’s awesome, Christen! You never told me you two were a thing,” Mal’s rambling, and Christen fights the urge to tell her that no, she and Tobin weren’t a thing and that they likely won’t be.

Christen laughs it off and focuses on the game as the players file out of the locker rooms. She watches Tobin warm up, probably a little too intently for anyone watching players warming up. When Tobin scans the crowd, she catches Christen’s eyes and the brightest smile on the field accompanies the small wave that Christen returns.

They win 3-0. 

The crowd is wild, and some of the high schoolers in the stands rush the field, against the orders of the coaches and the chaperoning teachers. Christen just stands at the edge, and she looks for both Tobin and Kelley. She spots Kelley first and Kelley jumps up to give her a hug. She’s gone right after that though, finding the energy to jump on all the teammates and scream her joy at winning the game. It’s almost as if she hasn’t just played a 90 minute soccer game. She spots Tobin next, and smiles softly as she makes her way to where Christen is standing.

“Hey, you,” Christen says softly, nudging Tobin’s shoulder with her hand.

“Hey yourself,” Tobin grins, and she reaches up to give Christen a hug.

“Congrats on winning the game,” Christen’s attention is on Tobin and only Tobin. She’s zoned out every other voice and every other person around them except for her friend in front of her.

“I had a special someone I needed to impress,” Tobin winks, and the grin on her face grows impossibly wide.

“You wanted to impress me?” Christen asks. Her eyes are wide and she can feel her heart hammering in her chest. Never in her life had she thought Tobin thought about her outside of their classes together.

“Well yeah, how else am I gonna get you to say yes?” Tobin’s mutters, her face now close to Christen’s.

“Say yes to what?” Christen asks.

“Will you go to homecoming with me?” Tobin mutters. Her honey brown eyes are locked on Christen’s green ones. She looks nervous for the first time in the entire day. She’s swaying back and forth on her feet and her hands are fidgeting with each other. 

“Of course I’ll go with you, Tobin,” Christen breathes out. It takes a while for her to find the words. She’s been silent for a minute, trying to calm her heart rate down. She feels as though she could collapse over the railing. At the confirmation, Tobin breathes a sigh of relief and she wears the smile that makes her eyes crinkle in the corners. It’s as if the world has stopped spinning, because Tobin glances down at Christen’s lips, and Christen finds herself getting closer to Tobin.

When their lips meet for the first time, it's soft and sweet. There isn’t any rush or force. It’s a simple kiss, but a kiss that both of them will remember for the rest of their lives. Christen can hear the whistles and cheers of her friends around her, and she presses harder into the kiss when she feels Tobin smile. 

**Author's Note:**

> If you've made it here, thank you for your time. This is my second ever fic and I will get better over time as I write more.


End file.
